Faculty Tenures, Promotions for 2025–2026
As Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ prepares for the 2025–2026 academic year, several faculty members have been recognized for their outstanding teaching, scholarship, service, and commitment to the university and its students through tenure and promotions approved at the May meeting of the Board of Trustees.
“It is a privilege to recognize these educators and scholars for their achievements and commitment to our students,â€� says Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Francine Glazer, Ph.D. “On behalf of our students, we applaud their contributions in our classrooms, labs, and beyond to deliver the best possible education and student experiences at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½.â€�
The following tenures and/or promotions become effective on September 1, 2025:
College of Arts and Sciences
- Daniel Cinotti, Ph.D., promotion to professor
- Nayoung Kim, Ph.D., tenure and promotion to associate professor
College of Engineering and Computing Sciences
- Arman Bonakdarpour, Ph.D., promotion to associate professor (Vancouver)
- Jerry Cheng, Ph.D., tenure and promotion to associate professor
- Paolo Gasti, Ph.D., promotion to professor
- Yongjian Gu, Ph.D., promotion to adjunct professor
- Fang Li, Ph.D., promotion to professor
- Yunlong Shao, Ph.D., promotion to associate professor (Vancouver)
College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Joerg Leheste, Ph.D., promotion to professor
- To Shan Li, D.O., promotion to professor (Jonesboro)
- Donna-Marie McMahon, D.O., promotion to professor
- Lillian Niwagaba, Ph.D., promotion to associate professor
- Gonzalo Otazu, Ph.D.,promotion to associate professor
- Anu Raj, Psy.D., promotion to associate professor
- Milan Toma, Ph.D., promotion to associate professor
- Haotian Zhao, M.D., promotion to professor
- Yingtao (Jerry) Zhao, Ph.D., promotion to associate professor
School of Architecture and Design
- Alessandro Melis, Ph.D., tenure
- Sung (Kevin) Park, M.F.A., tenure and promotion to associate professor
School of Health Professions
- Jaclyn Cotgreave, Ph.D., tenure and promotion to associate professor
- Lori Hochman, Ph.D., tenure and promotion to associate professor
- Jessica Varghese, Ph.D., tenure and promotion to associate professor
School of Management
- Joshua Bienstock, J.D., promotion to professor
- Sinan Caykoylu, Ph.D., promotion to professor (Vancouver)
- Shaya Sheikh, Ph.D., promotion to professor
More News
Building a STEM Pipeline Through Summer Research for High Schoolers
Assistant Professor Robert Alexander, Ph.D., has opened his lab to more than a dozen high school students, giving them hands-on experience in psychological and biomedical research, as well as a path to Ä¢¹½´«Ã½.
In Demand
With the enrollment of its largest first-year class, Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ finds momentum in career-focused programs, hands-on experiences, and a more personal approach to recruitment.
Fellows’ Field Notes: Dominican Republic and Greece
Over the summer and this fall, seven students traveled for their academic research projects supported by the Edward Guiliano Global Fellowship program.
Op-ed: AI Education Can’t End at Graduation
Universities have an opportunity and a responsibility to ensure their students—past, present, and future—are AI literate, writes President Balentine in an op-ed.
Faculty and Alumni Publish New Books
New publications from members of the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ community explore topics and interests across the fiction and nonfiction genres.
NYITCOM-Arkansas Receives Two Grants for New Residency Program, EMS Training Initiative
Two Rural Health Transformation Project grants, totaling $3.7 million, will support health education programs at the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University (NYITCOM-Arkansas).